Pattern means for knitting machines



Sept. 14, 1965 B. F. COILE 3,205,583

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 28, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

B. F. COILE 3,205,683

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 14, 1965 Filed March 28, 1961 LJL| Sept. 14, 1965 B. F. COILE PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28. 1961 INVENTOR Ber/4min flunk/in 60/18 BY M ATTORNEY.

B. F. COILE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. fiely'am/h fian/r/m Cai/e BY M/QZM ATTORNEY.

Sept. 14, 1965 PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 28. 1961 Sept. 14, 1965 B. F. COlLE PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 28. 1961 JNVENTOR. Benjamin film/Mb 60%! BY .W ATTORNEY.

M HH United States Patent 3,205,683 PATTERN MEANS FUR KNITTENG MACHINES Benjamin Franklin 'Coile, Athens, Ga., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 28, 1961, Ser- No. 98,872 2 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) This invention relates to improvements in circular knitting machines having a plurality of knitting stations and more particularly to needle selecting and operating means at each of the stations of such machines for forming ornamental stitch designs in tubular stocking fabrics knitted thereon.

In circular knitting machines having a single knitting station for knitting stockings means are provided for feeding yarns to and for operating the needles during rotary operation to form run-down portions of the stockings and during reciprocatory operation to form heel and toe portions of the stockings. The machines are also provided with means for selectively controlling the operations of the needles to form various types of design stitches such as tuck stitches, float stitches and tuck and float stitches in the run-down portions of the stockings having both ornamental and run-resisting characteristics, the means for this purpose commonly comprising pattern jacks and pattern devices for selectively controlling the operation of the jacks and being limited to the formation of combinations of only two of the different types of design stitches. With the advent of machines having a plurality of knitting stations for making multifeed rundown portions in the stockings, mechanism, similar to that employed in the single-station machines, is provided at one of the stations for selectively controlling the needles through the pattern jacks. This not only results in the same limitations encountered in the single-station machines as to the number of different kinds of design stitches that could be formed in the same stockings but also acts to restrict the design arrangements of the stitches to those in which the stitches appear in only one of the two courses simultaneously knit at the two stations.

It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide means in .a circular knitting machine for overcoming the above and other defects in the formation of design stitches in tubular knitted fabric such as for stockings and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means at each knitting station of a multistation circular knitting machine for forming design stitch patterns in tubular knitted stockings, which means is adapted to control the formation of design patterns in the complete circular courses knit at each station and the formation of other design patterns in only a portion of the circular courses knit at each station.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in multistation circular knitting machines for forming different design stitch patterns in both singleand multifeed portions of tubular knitted stocking fabrics,

which means includes pattern jacks associated with the needles of the machine and selecting means at each of said stations, the selecting means at each station being adapted to at times act on all of the jacks in the courses knit at each station to form complete circular courses of the design stitch patterns at each of the stations, to at times act on the jacks to form circular design stitch patterns in which one half of the circular pattern is formed in one half of each course knit at one station and the other half of the circular pattern is formed in the other half of each course knit at the other station and to at other times act on the jacks to form design stitch patterns in portions of the circular courses knit at only one of the stations.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative and practical embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention comprises the novel method steps, elements, features of construction and combination of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multistation circular knitting machine having mechanism according to the instant invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a developed view of the needle operating cams and jack selecting and operating cams of the machine as viewed when looking outwardly from the interior of the needle cylinder, parts shown in full line indicating operating parts and those shown in dotted outline indicating non-operating parts as during plain knitting;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 with the parts conditioned for the formation of different design stitches according to the instant invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the pattern jacks together with portions of the operating pattern for the jack selecting levers at each of the stations;

FIG. 7 is a view of a stocking showing the different design stitches incorporated in different parts thereof;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale of the design stitch construction in a portion of the stocking fabric within the rectangle indicated at 8 in FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 9 to 11 are views similar to FIG. 8 showing design stitch constructions within the rectangles indicated at 9 to 11, respectively, in FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a slotted cylinder 9 (FIG. 1) for a circle of independently operated latch needles 1t and cams (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) acting on butts of the needles to operate the same at main and auxiliary knitting stations, indicated generally at 11 and 12, respectively, of a multistation circular knitting machine. The cams for operating on the butts of the needles at the main station 11 include a forward stitch cam 15, a reverse stitch cam 16 which is radially retractable out of the path of the needle butts for purposes hereinafter set forth, a center cam 17, a cam 20 associated with the forward stitch cam for raising the needles following stitch drawing movements in the forward direction and a cam 21 associated with the reverse stitch cam for raising the needles following stitch drawing movements in the reverse direction. Associated with the stitch cams i5 and 16 are up or narrowing picks 22 and 25, respectively, and a down or widening pick 26 which operate on the needles in a conventional manner during fashioning of heel and toe portions of stocking fabrics formed on the machine. Also associated with the cams at station 11 are guard earns 23 and 24 and a center or needle leveling cam 23. The cams for operating the needles 1th at the auxiliary station 12 include a stitch cam 27 which acts on the needles only during forward move ments, an upper cam 3d and a cam 31 associated with the stitch cam 27 for raising the needles following stitch draw ing movements. The stitch cam 27 is radially retractable out of the path of .the needle butts to inactivate station 12 and all of the cams at both stations 11 and 12 are constructed to operate in a conventional and well known manner as hereinafter set forth.

During plain knitting with the cylinder 9 rotating in a forward or counterclockwise direction, indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3, the needles 10 approach station 11 along a path 29, commonly referred to as the tucking path or level, and are first raised to a stitch clearing level 33 to clear the previously formed stitches on the needles below the latches thereof by the upper curved surface of the reare acted on by the selecting levers 57 while those jacks verse stitch cam 16 and are'then lowered by the center, cam 17 to take yarn fed by a yarn finger 32 which 1s one of a group of similarfingers associated with station 11. As the needles continue their movements they are lowered by the stitch cam to draw new stitches and to knock over the previously formed stitches on the needles. After passing the lowest point of the stitch cam 15 the needles are again raised to tuck, level by the cam 20. During continued movement of the cylinder 9 in the forward direction all of the needles 10 are raised toclearing level to clear the stitches formed at station 11 by means of and in the manner hereinafter set forth and the needles are then lowered by cam to take yarn fed by a yarn finger which is one of a group of similar fingers associated with station 12. As the needles continue their movement they are lowered by the stitch cam 27 to draw new stitches and to knock over the stitches on the needles formed at station'll after which the needles are again raised to tuck level by the cam 31.

The means for raising the needles 10 to latch clearing level at station 12 include pattern jacks 36 which are conventionally of the rocking type and which act through intermediate jacks 37, there being .a pattern jack and an intermediate jack in the cylinder 9 for each of the needles. Each of the jacks 36 has a lower lug 40 adapted for engagement with raising cam 41 when the lower ends of the jacks are rocked outwardly through engagement of a presser cam 42 with upper portions 45 of the jacks. presser cam 42 is mounted on a fixed pivot 46 and is moved to engage the upper portions 45 of the jacks 36 by a spring 47 connected between the lever and ,a fixed part of the machine. The presser cam 42 is adapted to be moved to an inactive position in which it will not engage the jacks 36 for purposes hereinafter set forth by a pivoted lever 50 connected by a Bowden wire 51 or the like to one of a series of pattern levers 53 controlled and. operated by a pattern drum 54 of the machine. ing movement of the jacks 36, jacks 37 and needles 10 by the cam 41 the jacks are again returned to their lowermost positions 'by a cam surface 52 which acts on butt portions 55 on the intermediate jacks 37 and the needles are acted on by the earns 30, 27 .and 31 as above set forth.

The pattern jacks 36 are also adapted to be controlled so that selected ones of the jacks throughout the cylinder 9 are raised by the cam 41 to raise the needles 10 associated therewith to latch clearing level while the other needles throughout the cylinder are selected to remain at the level to which they were raised by the cam 20 for purposes of forming design stitch formations as hereinafter set forth. For so selecting the jacks 36 they are provided with usual breakable pattern butts 56 adapted to be engaged by selector levers 57 (FIGS. 1 and 3) to again move the lugs 40 on the jacks out of the path of the cam 41 after the jacks have been rocked outwardly by the presser cam Thus the jacks on which the butts 56 are unbroken having butts removed are raised to move their associated needles to clearing level as hereinbefore set forth. The selector levers 57 are controlled and operated by a trick drum 60 having ratchet teeth 59 thereon which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 61 connected to a pivoted lever 62. Lever 62 is connected by a link 65 to a lever 66 which is operated by a lever indicated at 67 in FIG. 1. The lever 67 is adapted to be oscillated two times during each rotation of the cylinder 9 to in turn operate the lever 65 and pawl 61 to advance the trick drum two teeth of the ratchet 59 for each selection of the selector levers 57 from a constantly operating part of the machine (not shown) and the lever 67 may be idled to in turn idle the trick drum 60 by means not shown herein but which is conventional in circular machines. 1

In accordance with the instant invention means are also provided for selectively controlling movement of the needles 10 at station 11 through the jacks 36 and 37 in the same manner as at station 12 for the purpose of form- The Following a raischine.

ing special stitch formations in the courses formed at station 12. The means for this purpose includes a raising cam 70 similar to the cam 41 for raising the jacks 36, a presser cam 71 acting on the upper portion 45 of the jacks, a cam surface 72 acting on the butts 55 of the jacks 37 for lowering these jacks and the jacks 36 raised by the raising earns 70, selector levers 75 acting on the selecting butts 56 on the jackets in the same manner and for the same purpose as selector levers 57, as above set forth. The presser cam 71 is pivoted on a fixed stud 76 and is moved between an active position to engage the upper portions 45 of the jacks 36 under the control of a Bowden wire 77 connected to and operated by one of the pattern drums of the ma- The selector levers 75 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are controlled and operated by a trick drum 80 which is, provided with a ratchet 79 engaged and operated by a pawl 81 connected to the link 65 to advance the trick drum 80 two teeth of the ratchet during each rotation of the cylinder 9 in the same manner as trick drum 60.

In forming a stocking fabric such as indicated at in FIG. 7 on the machine of the instant invention the machine is operated in a rotary or run-down manner to form a turned welt portion 96, an afterwelt 97, a leg portion 98, a foot portion 99 and a ring toe portion and the machine is operated in a reciprocatory manner to form heel and toe portions 101 and 102. In forming the welt portions 96 yarns are fed at each of the stations 11 and 12 and movements of the needles are controlled at the main station 11 by the needle operating cams and at the auxiliary station 12 by both the needle operating cams and the jacks as in plain knitting as hereinbefore set forth. In the afterwelt'97v which is provided with float stitch patterns, and the leg 98 and foot portion 99'which are provided with tuck stitch patterns, yarns are fed at each of thestations*11 and 12 and the movements of the needles are controlled by both the needle operating cams and the jacks at both stations in the manner hereinafter set forth. The ring t-oe 100 which is provided with a pattern of tuck and float stitches is knit at only the main station 11 and the movements of the needles are controlled by both the needle operating cams and the jacks. In knit-ting the heel 101 and toe 102 which are also knit at station 11, the movements of the needles are controlled only by the needle operating cams.

In forming the different design stitch patterns, the arrangernent of the pattern butts 56 on the jacks 36 for each of the patterns may be arranged in the same group of butt levels on all of the jacks so that a group of selector levers 75 acting at the station 11 will form a complete circular course of the pattern in the courses knit at station 11 and a corresponding group of selector levers 57 at station 12 acting on the same pattern butts will form a complete circular course ofthe pattern in the courses knit at station 12. Preferably, however, the pattern butts and the groups of'selector levers acting thereon are arranged as shown inFIG. 6, in which the butts on the jacks controlling the formation of the design pattern in one half of cylinder 9 indicated at A are in one group of levels and the butts on the jacks controlling the formation of the design pattern in the other half of the cylinder indicated at B are in a different group of levels. As shown in FIG. 6 an upper group of butt levels 105 in each of the cylinder halves A and B are not provided with a butt design and will remain inactive during the formation of the stocking of FIG. 7. In the next lower group of butt levels indicated at 106 the butts 56 on the jacks 36 in the cylinder half A are arranged in the same order on similar recurring groups of jacks to control the selection of needles in forming a. tuck stitch pattern, as shown in FIG. 10, in one half of the leg and foot portions 98 and ,99, respectively, of the stocking and the butts at the same levels in the cylinder half B are removed from the jacks. In the next group of butt levels 107,'the butts 56 on the jacks in the cylinder half .B are arranged in the same order and'on the same recurring form a different stitch design in the fabric.

groups of jacks as in the cylinder half A to control the needles in forming the tuck stitch pattern in the other half of the leg and foot of the stocking and the butts in the same group of levels are removed from the jacks in the cylinder half A.

The pattern butts for controlling the needles in forming the float stitch patterns of FIGS. 8 and 9 are likewise arranged in the same manner in recurring groups of jacks in different groups of levels in the cylinder halves A and B the butt pattern being formed in one group of butt levels, indicated at 108, on the jacks in the cylinder half A, and in another group of butt levels 109 in the cylinder half B. All of the butts on the jacks in the group of levels 108 in the cylinder half B and all of the butts on the jacks in the group of levels 109 in the cylinder half A are removed.

Likewise, the selector levers 57 associated with station 12 and the selector levers 75 at station 11 are arranged in groups for engagement with the pattern butts in the different butt level groups 105 to 109 and the groups of selector levers are adapted to be moved between active and inactive positions with respect to both the pattern butts 56 on the jacks 36 and the trick drums. The different groups of selector levers 57 are moved to inactive positions by pivoted levers 73 which are connected by Bowden wires 51 to certain of the pattern levers 53 controlled and operated by the pattern drum 54. The different groups of selector levers 75 are also adapted to be moved to inactive positions by pivoted levers 78 which are connected by Bowden wires 77 to certain of the pattern levers 53.

The arrangement of the pattern butts as above set forth in which one half of the design pattern is controlled by one half of the jacks in the cylinder 9 and the other half of the design pattern is controlled by the jack in the other half of the cylinder is such as to permit the res-election of the selector levers acting on the butt pattern in one group of levels as the blank group of jacks is passing the selector levers. For instance, .a group of lever 5'7 at station 12 and a corresponding group of levers 75 at station 11 acting on the pattern butts in the level 106 in the cylinder half A will be reselected at their associated trick drums as the blank jacks in the cylinder half B are passing the selector levers. Furthermore, the instant arrangement of the attern butts and the selective operation of the groups of selector levers permits the formation by one group of selector levers of one half of one circular stitch design in the fabric on the needles in one half of the cylinder in the courses knit at one station and the formation by a group of selector levers at different levels than in the first mentioned group, of the other half of the same circular design on the needles in the other cylinder half knit at the other station, and by changing the grouping of the selector levers at one or both stations to act on the same butt pattern to The butt arrangement also permits groups of selector levers to act on the butt arrangement in both cylinder halves at each station to form complete courses of the circular design at each station in the manner hereinafter set forth.

In preparation of the machine for the formation of the tuck stitch design of FIG. in the leg 98 and foot 99 of the stocking, the reverse stitch cam 16 at station 11 is withdrawn to inactive position, the presser cam 71 is moved to active position to engage and act on the upper portions 45 of the jacks 36 and the grou of selector levers 75 at station 11 associated with the pattern butts 56 in the group of levels 107 on the recurring groups of jacks in cylinder half B are moved to active position for control by the trick drum 80. At station 12, the presser 42 remains in active position and the group of selector levers 57 associated with the pattern butts 56 in the group of evels 106 on the recurring groups of jacks in cylinder half A are moved to active position for control by the trick drum 60. Also a yarn finger 32 is moved to yarn feeding position at station 11 and a finger 35 is moved to yarn feeding position at station 12. During operation of the machine with the needle cylinder 9 rotating in the forward direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4 and with the needles following a path 82, the bottom ends of all jacks are rocked outwardly by the presser cam 71 and the jacks associated with the needles in the cylinder half B selected to form the luck stitches are immediately rocked back to inactive osition by the selector levers 75. As the machine continhes to operate in the forward direction the needles associated with the jacks inactivated by the levers 75 continue along the path 82 with the previously formed stitches remaining in the hooks thereof and all of the jacks 36 and 37 associated with the remaining needles in both cylinder halves are raised by the cam 70 to in turn raise these needle to follow a latch clearing path 85 and the jacks 36 and 37 are again returned to their lowered position by the cam surface 72. The cleared needles are then lowered by the cam 17 and both the cleared needles and the uncleared needles following the path 82, take the yarn fed by the yarn finger 32 at station 11. All of the needles are then lowered by stitch cam to draw stitches of the yarn finger 32 with the cleared needles casting or knitting off the previously formed stitches thereon and the uncleared needles retaining both the new and previously formed stitches within the hooks thereof to form the tuck stitches.

As the cylinder continues to rotate the needles are again raised to the path 82 by the cam and as they approach station 12 the lower ends of the jacks are rocked outwardly by the presser cam 42 and the jacks in the other half A of the cylinder associated with the needles selected to form the tuck stitches at station 12 are immediately rocked back to inactive position by the selector levers 57. Thereupon as the cylinder continues to rotate, the needles associated with the jacks inactivated by the levers 57 continue along the path 82 and all of the remaining needles are raised to the latch clearing path 85 through the jacks and raising cam 41, and the jacks are again returned to their lowered position by the cam surface 52. During continued rotation of the cylinder the cleared needles are lowered by the cam and all of the needles take yarn fed by finger and are then lowered to draw stitches of this yarn by the stitch cam 27, the cleared needles knitting off the previously formed stitches thereon and the uncleared needles retaining both the new and previously formed stitches in the hooks thereof to form the tuck stitches. Following the stitch drawing movement at station 12 the needles are again raised to the path 82 for selection and movement through the cams at stations 11 and 12 in the manner above set forth.

To form the tuck and float stitch design of FIG. 11 in the ring toe portion of the stocking which is knit singlefeed at station 11, the needle operating cams at station 11 are again conditioned as in FIG. 4 and two yarn fingers 32 are lowered to yarn feeding position at this station, one finger being positioned at the usual low yarn feeding level and the other finger, shown in dotted outline in FIG, 4, being positioned at a high level to feed their yarns to the needles in a manner hereinafter set forth. The group of selector levers associated with the pattern butts in the level group 106 on the recurring groups of jacks in the cylinder half A are moved to active position to control the selection of the needles at the station 11 and the presser cam 71 is moved to active position. At this time the auxiliary station 12 is inactivated by retracting the stitch cam 27, the yarn fingers are all in inactive positions and the presser lever 42 is moved to inactive position. During rotation of the cylinder in the forward direction to form a first course of the design stitch portion, as the needles approach station 11 along the path 82, all of the jacks 36 are rocked outwardly by the presser cam 71, the jacks associated with the needles in the cylinder half A that are to remain in the path 82 and hold their stitches are rocked back to inactive position by the selector levers 75 and all of the remaining jacks in both halves of the cylinder are raised by the cam 70 to in turn raise the needles associated therewith to the latch clearing path 85. As the cylinder continues to rotate the raised jacks are lowered by the cam surface 72, the needles in the path 85 are lowered by the center cam 17 and all of the needles take yarn with the cleared needles taking the yarns of both yarn fingers 32 and the needles traveling in the path 82 taking only the yarn from the lower of the two fingers. All of the needles are then lowered to draw stitches by the stitch cam 15 with the cleared needles knitting oh the previously formed stitches thereon and each of the uncleared needles adding a stitch of one yarn to the previously formed stitch retained in the hook thereof to form a tuck stitch. As the needle cylinder continues to rotate all of the needles are raised to the path 82 by the cam 20, the uncleared or tuck needles at this time rising in front of the yarn of the high finger to form a float of this yarn across the tuck stitch. During continued rotation of the cylinder, the same needles are selected as above set forth to hold and tuck stitches of one of the yarns while floating the other yarn in the tuck and float stitch wales for the required number of courses and the remaining needles form and knit off stitches of both yarns in each of the courses.

To form the knit and float stitch patterns of FIGS. 8 and 9 in the afterwelt 97 of the stocking the reverse stitch cam 16 at station 11 is retracted to inactive position and the forward stitch cam 15 at station 11 and the stitch cam 27 at station 12 are in active positions, as shown in FIG. 5. Also two yarn fingers are moved to yarn feeding position at each station, one having a low position and the other having a high position, the presser cams are in active position at each station and groups of selector levers associated with the butt pattern in both of level groups 108 and 109 on the groups of jacks in both halves of the cylinder are moved to active position at each station to control the selection of the needles. In addition the needles are further controlled whereby all of the needles are raised to a clearing level and then immediately lowered again into the path 82 prior to the selection of the needles by the selector levers at each station. For the purpose of so operating the needles at station 11 special raising and lowering cams 86 and 87, respectively,

are provided at this station and similar raising and lowering cams 90 and 91, respectively, are provided at station 12. The raising and lowering cams at each station are adapted to.be moved radially of the needle cylinder between active positions to act on the needle butts and inactive positions.

During rotation of the cylinder in a forward direction as the, needles approach station 11 they are raised to a clearing path 92 by the cam 86 to clear the stitches below the latches thereof and the needles are then immediately lowered by cam 87 to the path 82. Also at this time the bottom ends of all of the jacks are rocked outwardly by the presser cam 71 and selected ones of the jacks arerocked back to inactive position by the selector levers 75, one group of selector levers acting on the pattern butts in the level group 108 and the other group of levers acting on the pattern butts in the level group 109. As the cylinder continues to rotate, the needles associated with the jacks selected and returned to inactive position by the selector levers 75 continue along the path 82 and all of the remaining jacks are raised by the cam 70 to again raise their associated needles into the clearing path 92. During continued rotation of the cylinder the needles in the clearing path 92 are lowered by the center cam 17 and take the yarns of both the high and low yarn fingers and the needles in the path 82 take only the yarn of the low finger. All of the needles then engage and are lowered by the stitch cam 15 to draw stitches and knit off the previously cleared stitches. As the needles are raised to the path 82 by the earn 20 the needles drawing stitches of only the low yarn pass in front of a float of the yarn of '8 the high finger thereby completing a circular course of the float stit-ch pattern at station 11.

During continued rotation of the cylinder and as the needles approach station 12 they are raised to the latch clearing path 92 by the cam and then are again lowered to path 82 by the cam 91. At this time the lower ends of all of the jacks are rocked outwardly into the path of cam 41 and selected ones of the jacks are rocked inwardly to inactive position relative to the cam 41- by the selector levers 57. As the cylinder continues to rotate, the needles associated with the jacks selected and returned to inactive position by the selector levers 57 continue along the path 82 to take the yarn of only the low finger and all of the remaining jacks are raised by the. cam 41 to again raise their associated needles into the clearing path 92 and the latter needles are lowered by the cam 30 and take the yarns of both high and low yarn fingers. All of the needles then engage and are lowered by the switch cam 27,.the needles in the path 82 drawing stitches of only the low yarn and the remaining needles drawing stitches of both yarns and all of the needles knitting off the stitches previously held thereon. All of the needles are then raised to the path 82 by the cam 31 with the needles having stitches of only the one yarn passing in front of a float portion of the other yarn to complete a circular course of the float stitch pattern at station 12. It is to be noted that different needles are selected at the stations 11 and 12 during a rotation of the cylinder to form the float stitch pattern of FIG. 8 whereas the same needles are selected at both stations during a rotation of the cylinder to form the float stitch pattern of FIG. 9. During continued rotation of the cylinder the needles are selected and acted on in the, above manner to complete the float stitch pattern in the after welt of the stocking. I

It is believed to be obvious from the foregoing that the machine of the instant invention is not only adapted to knit both singleand multi-feed plain fabric portions in stockings but is also adapted to selectively operate the needles to form various design stitch patterns in the singleand multi-feed fabric portions. pattern formed in a multi-feed portion of the stocking portions of the jack pattern are arranged to selectively control the operation of the needles to form half of the complete circular design pattern in courses of the fabric formed at one station of the machine and a complementary half of the circular design pattern in the courses formed at the other station of the machine and in another multi-feed portion portionsof the jack pattern are arranged to control the needles to form a different design pattern in which complete circular courses of the design pattern are formed at each of the stations. Also one of the above jack patterns is adapted tocontrol the needles at one of the stations to form partial courses of a third design pattern in a single-feed portion of the fabric. Furthermore, it is to be understood that where terms are used herein and in the claims referring to the selective control of the needles, such terms are meant to indicate the selection of spaced'needles of a group or of spaced groups throughout the complete circle of needles and not to the, selection of only a single needle of the circle of needles.

Itwill be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above results are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations, a cylinder adapted for rotary movement relative to said stations, a circle of latch needles in said cylinder, means for feeding yarn to said needles at'each of said stations, cam means at each of said stations for operating the needles to knit the yarn fed thereto into courses of a tubular fabric, said needles being adapted to In one design,

follow a high path to clear previously formed stitches thereon below the latches thereof to form plain stitches and to follow a low path in which the needles hold the previously formed stitches thereon to form tuck stitches in the courses knit at each of said stations, and means at each of said stations for individually selecting the needles to follow said high and low paths, said last mentioned means comprising a patterning element associated with each of said stations for individually selecting the needles first group of levels on the patterning elements in one portion of said cylinder, pattern butts in a second group of levels on the patterning elements in another portion of said cylinder, said pattern butts in said first and second groups of levels providing for individual selective control of the complete circle of needles, selecting means at one of said stations acting on the pattern butts in only said first group of levels to select the needles that are to follow said low path at said one station, selecting means at the other of said stations acting on the pattern butts in only said second group of levels to select the patterning elements of the needles that are to follow said low path at said other station, and means independent of said selecting means at each of said stations to raise the unselected patterning elements in both portions of said cylinder to raise the needles associated therewith to follow said high path.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting stations, a cylinder adapted for rotary movement relative to said stations, needles in said cylinder, means for feeding yarns to said needles at each of said stations, and means for operating said needles at each of said stations for knitting said yarns into complete courses of a tubular fabric, in combination with means at each of said stations for controlling the operation of said needles to form design stitch patterns in the courses of said fabric comprising a pattern jack associated with each of said needles in said cylinder, selecting means acting on selected pattern jacks in only one half of said cylinder at one of said stations to cause the needles associated therewith to form design stitches in one half of said complete courses knit at said one station, selecting means acting on selected pattern jacks in only the other half of said cylinder at the other of said stations to cause the needles associated therewith to form design stitches in the other half of said complete courses knit at said other station, and means independent of said selecting means at each of said stations acting on the unselected pattern jacks in both halves of said cylinder to cause the needles associated therewith to form plain stitches in said complete courses knit thereat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,396 10/35 Deans et al 6650 2,108,540 2/38 Lochhead 66-49 X 2,694,908 11/54 Lawson 6650 2,727,373 12/55 Dowell 66-50 X 2,890,577 6/59 Lawson 66-42 2,934,921 5/60 Green 66-43 2,939,302 6/ 60 Letzerich 6643 2,962,881 12/60 Williams 66-50 2,974,506 3/61 Lawson 66-51 3,066,508 12/62 Mazzi 66-50 3,067,599 12/ 62 Mazzi 66-50 3,097,510 7/63 Brown 6650 RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A CIRCULATING KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF KNITTING STATIONS, A CYLINDER ADAPTED FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID STATIONS, NEEDLES IN SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR FEEDING YARNS TO SAID NEEDLES AT EACH OF SAID STATIONS, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID NEEDLES AT EACH OF SAID STATIONS FOR KNITTING SAID YARNS INTO COMPLETE COURSES OF A TUBULAR FABRIC, IN COMBINATION WITH MEANS AT EACH OF SAID STATIONS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID NEEDLES TO FORM DESIGN STITCH PATTERNS IN THE COURSES OF SAID FABRIC COMPRISING A PATTERN JACK ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID NEEDLES IN SAID CYLINDER, SELECTING MEANS ACTING ON SELECTED PATTERN JACKS IN ONLY ONE HALF OF SAID CYLINDER AT ONE OF SAID STATIONS TO CAUSE THE NEEDLES ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO FORM DESIGN STITCHES IN ONE HALF OF SAID COMPLETE COURSES KNIT AT SAID ONE STATION, SELECTING MEANS ACTING ON SELECTED PATTERN JACKS IN ONLY THE OTHER HALF OF SAID CYLINDER AT THE OTHER OF SAID STATIONS TO CAUSE THE NEEDLES ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO FORM DESIGN STITCHES IN THE OTHER HALF OF SAID COMPLETE COURSES KNIT AT SAID OTHER STATION, AND MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID SELECTING MEANS AT EACH OF SAID STATIONS ACTING ON THE UNSELECTED PATTERN JACKS IN BOTH HALVES OF SAID CYLINDER TO CAUSE THE NEEDLES ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO FORM PLAIN STITCHES IN SAID COMPLATE COURSES KNIT THEREAT. 